News release

CHICAGO, IL

Millennials Are Facility Management’s Future; They Just Don’t Know It (Yet)

2014-06-24T05:00:00Z

This little-known career offers opportunities consistent with the Millennial generation’s values—and a lot of open jobs

CHICAGO, June 24, 2014 – Facility management has an aging workforce (average employee age of 49, six years above the U.S. general working population average)—but it doesn’t have to be that way. A recent survey shows that only one percent of Millennials are studying facility management, yet they report values, skills and aspirations consistent with a career in this industry. The research reveals a critical disconnect: an industry offering meaningful careers, young people seeking jobs that make a difference in the world—and a lack of awareness of one another.

As companies face a Baby Boomer retirement wave, the demand for facility management jobs far exceeds supply, creating a pronounced talent gap expected to worsen in the years to come.

Millennials don’t consider facility management as a career path—but they should. Millennials value jobs that offer constant learning opportunities, a clear career path and an enjoyable, rewarding workplace. While facility management careers typically offer these attributes, few Millennials are aware of the industry.

Many Millennials already work in fields related to facility management—and don’t realize it. A substantial number of respondents already hold jobs that relate to facility management skill sets, including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as well as project management and architecture.

Millennials don’t distrust large corporations as much as we thought. More than half (52 percent) of the Millennials surveyed work for a multi-national or national corporation, despite widespread perception that Millennials prefer smaller enterprises.

Many vocational school programs are excellent preparation for a career in facility management. The study points to facility management as a good career for associate degree candidates studying HVAC and other programs that develop skills for operating highly-technical operating systems and machinery.

Millennials are open to learning about facility management. More than 71 percent of Millennials are open to learning about new careers—a positive sign for both corporations needing talent and Millennials looking for rewarding careers.

“A well-designed facility management career path is consistent with Millennials’ desire to have a voice and to inform, influence, collaborate, innovate and ultimately make a difference,” according to Chris Pesek, Director of JLL’s Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) group overseeing three billion square feet of corporate real estate facilities in 74 countries.

Creating careers, reducing risksThe study affirms outsourcing as a sound method for bridging the generational talent gap, by offering career paths that offer sustainability, meaning and purpose. In fact, corporations that don’t outsource facility management face a unique set of risks.

JLL’s The Future of Facility Management: Attracting Millennial Talent tracks demographic shifts in the facility management industry. The complete findings of the report are available on a dedicated microsite here.

A leader in the real estate outsourcing field, JLL’s Corporate Solutions business helps corporations improve productivity in the cost, efficiency and performance of their national, regional or global real estate portfolios by creating outsourcing partnerships to manage and execute a range of corporate real estate services. This service delivery capability helps corporations improve business performance, particularly as companies turn to the outsourcing of their real estate activity as a way to manage expenses and enhance profitability.

For more news, videos and research resources on JLL, please visit the firm’s U.S. media center webpage. Bookmark it here: http://bit.ly/18P2tkv.

About JLL JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. With annual fee revenue of $4 billion, JLL has more than 200 corporate offices and operates in 75 countries worldwide. On behalf of its clients, the firm provides management and real estate outsourcing services for a property portfolio of 3 billion square feet and completed $99 billion in sales, acquisitions and finance transactions in 2013. Its investment management business, LaSalle Investment Management, has $48.0 billion of real estate assets under management. JLL is the brand name of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com.​